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Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS023033S
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00:12 (music ends) 00:16 >>Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:17 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:20 We're studying the book of Ephesians this quarter, 00:23 and we are looking at lesson number eight today, 00:26 entitled "Christ-Shaped Lives and Spirit-Inspired Speech." 00:31 What does the way we talk and the way that we live 00:34 have to do with, well, what's in our hearts? 00:36 We're gonna be looking at that today. 00:39 But before we do, let's begin with prayer. 00:42 Father, we wanna thank You for being with us so far 00:44 in our journey through the book of Ephesians, 00:46 and we ask that You will be with us this week as well. 00:49 Guide our thoughts, our minds, and our hearts. 00:52 We thank You in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:56 Well, we're glad to be back with you again. 00:57 We're glad that you are here with us, 00:59 and by "us," I mean myself 01:02 and also our special guest this week. 01:04 Well, he's special every week, but he's the author 01:07 of this particular quarter's lesson, (Dr. McVay laughing) 01:09 Dr. John McVay. 01:10 He's the president of Walla Walla University, 01:12 and, as I mentioned, the author of this lesson. 01:14 John, welcome. >>Well, special or not, 01:16 I'm delighted to be here with you, Eric. 01:18 >>It's really an encouraging study 01:20 that we've been going through, and yet more to cover. 01:23 This week, an interesting one: 01:25 "Christ-Shaped Lives and Spirit-Inspired Speech." 01:30 >>Yes, yes. >>So, the way we live, 01:32 the things we say--go figure. 01:35 Perhaps it has something to do with Christianity, huh? 01:37 >>In my home growing up there was a little phrase: 01:40 "You've stopped preaching and gone to meddlin'." 01:43 >>Mmm. >>I don't know if you've 01:44 ever heard that phrase, but-- >>I have indeed. 01:46 >>...remember that in the first half, Paul preaches; 01:49 he preaches the gospel and so on. 01:51 In the second half, he's gone to meddling a bit, 01:53 and perhaps no place in the letter more than right here 01:56 because he is talking about something 01:58 that each one of us does a lot every day, and that's speak, 02:03 and he is anxious 02:06 that the God-given gift of speech 02:10 be used in a way that coheres 02:13 with God's plans for our lives. 02:15 >>All right, well, we're gonna delve into this, 02:18 and as we look at it, 02:19 we're really focusing on, in chapter 4, 02:21 verses 17-32. 02:24 But chapter 4 doesn't obviously begin 02:26 in verse number 17. >>Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 02:29 >>Not surprisingly, it begins in verse number 1. 02:31 And so, give us--bring us up to speed a little bit 02:35 before we jump into verse 17 here. 02:37 What's happened in the preceding verses? 02:39 >>Chapter 4 has these two segments, 02:41 and it's interesting to compare the way they begin. 02:44 "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord"-- 02:46 chapter 4, verse 1-- 02:47 "urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling 02:50 to which you have been called." That's verse 1. 02:52 If you compare verse 17-- 02:54 "Now this I say and testify in the Lord"-- 02:56 it has this same sort of serious--what would you say?-- 03:00 pronouncement formula, language going on: 03:02 "Now this I say and testify in the Lord, 03:05 "that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, 03:08 in the futility of their minds." Okay. 03:10 Somehow these two sections 03:12 are rather parallel to each other. 03:14 And Paul has gone to meddling, 03:15 and he's gone to telling believers in Ephesus 03:19 how they should behave to cohere with God's grand plan 03:23 to unify everything in Christ. 03:25 So here are some behaviors that undermine unity. 03:29 Here are some behaviors that advance and nourish unity. 03:33 And so he is being rather specific about these strategies, 03:37 what behaviors to avoid, what behaviors to adopt. 03:41 And there are many congregations 03:44 that I wish would really spend some serious time 03:47 on this passage, 03:49 understanding the way the God-given gift of speech 03:54 can be used to damage, to tear people down, 03:58 but when it's blessed by the Spirit, guided by the Spirit, 04:00 when the filter of the Spirit is installed in our minds, 04:05 if you will, 04:07 it can be used to build people up and to bless God's church. 04:11 >>And of course, that's what we want. 04:12 That's what God wants, and I think we want that as well. 04:15 Help us break down this section starting in verse number 17. 04:19 How would we kind of--if we were to outline the chapter, 04:23 what would we see? >>Sure. 04:24 >>These different portions or segments, 04:27 how would they fall together? 04:29 >>Well, there are two big segments here in the chapter. 04:32 Verses 17-24 04:35 contrast Gentile and Christian lifestyles. 04:39 Don't do this. Do this. 04:42 You were this. Now you're this. 04:46 And so that contrast is really important to the passage, 04:50 so you have verses 17-19, the Gentile pattern of life. 04:54 It's futile; it's darkened; 04:57 it's alienated; it's calloused. 05:00 So as you keep practicing evil, 05:02 you have less and less a sense of what that means 05:05 and less and less access to God's Spirit 05:08 to draw you into some other pathway. 05:11 It's a selfish pattern. 05:13 This is all exhibited by Gentiles. 05:17 So Paul, in the wider book, 05:20 has a lot of very positive things to say about Gentiles 05:23 being drawn into God's grace. 05:25 But Gentiles left to themselves practice a pagan, 05:30 God-denying kind of lifestyle that he discusses here. 05:35 And then he contrasts that in verses 20-24 05:38 with the Christ-shaped pattern of life 05:40 which is renewed, of the new self, 05:44 reflecting the righteousness and holiness of God. 05:47 And he uses some imagery here 05:50 that is quite interesting 05:53 in verses 24 and following. 05:56 He talks about this change that the saints have experienced 06:01 as being a change of clothing, doesn't he? 06:05 To "which belongs to your former [pattern] of life... 06:09 is corrupt through deceitful desires." 06:12 You're supposed to put on the new man, 06:14 take off the old man, and so on here. 06:18 And that language can trip us up a little bit 06:22 because putting on a new set of clothes 06:25 is not a big deal in many cultures today, 06:28 certainly not in ours. 06:30 I have too many suits and sport coats in my closet. 06:32 I don't know about you. But, you know, changing clothes 06:36 is something we do sometimes multiple times a day. 06:40 I come home and put on work clothes 06:42 to mow the lawn and so on. 06:44 Clothing, we have to remember that these biblical cultures 06:48 were subsistence ones, 06:50 and clothing was very expensive, 06:52 and clothing also contained markers 06:54 of your status and place in the society. 06:58 And you probably only owned one set of clothes, 07:01 period, the end. 07:02 In other words, to get a new set of clothes, 07:05 to put on a new set of clothes 07:06 was a dramatic transformation. 07:08 It's almost like you changed your whole identity 07:10 because you took off this old garment 07:13 that said you were a slave 07:14 and now you've put on a new set of clothes 07:16 that announces you're a free person. 07:18 That's the kind of transformation, 07:20 that's the analogy Paul is using 07:22 for this conversion experience of the believers in Ephesus. 07:26 >>So it's a drastic transformation of who they are, 07:29 and we're talking about the words 07:31 that come out of a person's mouth. 07:35 When Paul talks about it, 07:36 he puts an emphasis on speech here. 07:38 You've mentioned it already. >>Mm-hmm. 07:41 >>What's the importance that Paul places on speech? 07:44 Why does he spend--again, it's not a long book. 07:49 It's six chapters. >>Right, right. 07:50 >>But he takes some time-- >>Yes. 07:52 >>...comparatively speaking, to talk about this. Why? 07:55 >>So the second half of our chapter, 07:58 verses 17-32, is about Spirit-inspired, 08:04 Spirit-bathed, Christ-focused speech. 08:08 And that's a very good question. 08:10 Why does he spend so much time? 08:12 I assume that he spends so much time there 08:14 because he knows it can be a problem. 08:16 He has seen firsthand the destructiveness 08:20 of bad speech patterns 08:23 that tear people down and make fun of others and so on. 08:26 And he's seen the damage that 08:27 that can do within Christian communities. 08:30 And he wants any such damage to be ameliorated 08:33 in the house churches in Ephesus. 08:35 He wants only speech that builds up to be practiced. 08:40 >>He's talking about speech here. 08:42 It's of course part of the larger letter. 08:45 >>Mm-hmm. >>How does he connect 08:47 those two ideas together? 08:51 >>The...? I missed the first idea, Eric. 08:54 >>So he connects this speech with the rest 08:57 of the letter, as it were. >>Sure, sure. 08:59 How do those two come together? 09:01 >>Yeah, for me, again, it's that theme of unity 09:04 that he announces back in chapter 1, verses 9 and 10. 09:07 And it's not just, you know, 09:08 the pastor standing up and saying, 09:10 "Okay, folks, we need to be unified," 09:12 which can sometimes be code language for 09:14 "You need to see it my way," right? 09:16 It's not something like that at all. 09:18 This is cosmic-sized unity, 09:21 God's grand plan for the fullness of time 09:24 to unite all things in Christ. 09:27 He's trying to raise their sense of significance, 09:30 so he tells these people in Ephesus 09:33 that they're part of that grand plan, 09:35 and how they use their speech plays into that. 09:39 So by being kind to the little old lady at church, 09:43 by being gracious to that young adult, 09:46 you're not just practicing Christian niceties 09:50 and kindnesses, 09:51 you're entering into the strategic plan of God 09:55 to unify all things in Christ. 09:57 >>So it's an integral part of being a Christian. 10:02 >>Yes. >>We can't just--we can't-- 10:04 I'm gonna have to be careful how I say this. 10:05 (Dr. McVay chuckles) We can't be Christian 10:08 and yet our language, our speech not be Christian. 10:13 It's all part and parcel, part of the same thing. 10:16 >>Mm-hmm. >>In 26, verse number 26, 10:19 there's an interesting passage here. 10:22 He says, "'Be angry, and do not sin': 10:25 do not let the sun go down on your wrath." 10:27 >>Mm-hmm. >>You mentioned 10:29 that he was gonna get to meddlin' here. 10:31 >>Yes, yes. >>This, this is, 10:32 I think this falls 10:33 (Dr. McVay laughs) squarely within that. 10:34 >>I think it does. >>I think so. 10:36 >>Yes. >>So, talk to us about that. 10:38 >>I think indeed it does. 10:40 It's a great word of counsel about anger. 10:42 Anger should be constrained. 10:45 He--there are some who read this passage 10:49 to defend the idea of righteous indignation. 10:54 See? I can be angry as I can be and still not sin. 11:00 But Paul said--that's really an unfortunate attempt 11:03 to understand this passage, 11:06 partly because Paul is drawing 11:09 on some old Testament language here, 11:11 Psalm 4, verses 4 and 5. 11:13 He's actually quoting the psalm. 11:15 And if you read that, it's about silence; 11:19 it's about trust in God, 11:23 that the Psalm rings 11:25 with advocating careful thought. 11:29 So the ethos of the psalm that he quotes 11:33 suggests that Paul is not unleashing anger here and saying, 11:37 "Go for it; get angry. Just don't sin." 11:40 It has a more concessive feel to it. 11:44 Paul is saying something more like this: 11:47 "Should you become angry, 11:50 don't let it blossom into full-blown sin." 11:53 So he's putting a constraint on anger, 11:56 not unfettering it and not trying to give us a ready defense 12:00 to be "righteously" indignant. How do we know that? 12:04 Well, the tone of the passage itself, 12:06 but you get down to verse 31, and he says, 12:10 "Let all bitterness and wrath 12:13 "and anger and clamor and slander 12:16 be put away from you, along with all malice." 12:19 So he's gonna ban, essentially ban anger 12:23 from the Christian communities. So if he's going to do that 12:27 just around the corner here in Ephesians, 12:30 why in the world would we look to chapter 4, verse 26 12:34 for a defense of so-called righteous indignation? 12:37 >>Oh, I think some of us just lost our loophole, 12:40 (Dr. McVay chuckling) as it were, 12:42 in being able to let fly with choice words and emotions. 12:48 But this is for our good. 12:49 So Paul may be stepping on our toes just a little bit, 12:52 and really, it's not him; it's the Holy Spirit, 12:55 who is trying to guide us back 12:58 into the paths of righteousness. 13:00 And by the grace of God, as we study Ephesians, 13:03 that's exactly what's happening. 13:05 Speaking of studying Ephesians, 13:06 if you have not yet picked up the companion book 13:09 to this quarter's study, you absolutely want to do that. 13:13 It goes into greater detail 13:14 in what we're talking about right here today 13:16 and a whole lot more. You can find this companion book, 13:20 called "Ephesians" by John McVay, 13:22 at itiswritten.shop. 13:26 Very easy: itiswritten.shop. 13:28 Look for "Ephesians" by author John McVay. 13:31 You will find the companion book 13:32 to this quarter's Sabbath school lesson, 13:34 and you will be blessed if you pick it up. 13:36 It will add a great deal of depth and breadth 13:39 to your study of this subject. 13:41 We're going to come back in just a moment 13:43 as we continue looking 13:45 at the importance of Christian speech. We'll be right back. 13:48 (uplifting theme music swells and ends) 13:52 (wind softly blowing) 13:55 (somber, dramatic orchestra music builds) 14:03 (train clacking) 14:09 (wind blowing) 14:15 (soft guitar music joins strings) 14:22 (tambourine jingles as tension builds) 14:26 (music shifts to Middle-Eastern percussion and strings) 14:42 (swirl of chimes) 14:46 (music shifts to guitar and flute with orchestra) 14:52 (music ends) 14:53 (uplifting theme music) 14:57 Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 14:59 brought to you by It Is Written. 15:01 We are looking at lesson number eight today, 15:04 and we're talking about Christian speech. 15:06 Now, we've already--John sort of stepped on a few toes, 15:09 ruffled a few feathers, (Dr. McVay chuckling) 15:11 but we're only halfway through this lesson. 15:13 >>That's right. >>And so there's yet more-- 15:15 >>Yeah, more opportunity. >>...joy to be found. 15:16 More opportunity-- >>More opportunity. 15:18 >>...that's right. >>Yes. (chuckles) 15:19 >>Let's jump into verse number 27 here. 15:22 Paul says, "Nor give place to the devil." 15:26 What does it mean when Paul says, 15:28 "Don't give place to the devil," 15:30 in the context of what we're talking about right here? 15:32 >>Well, he's talking about anger, right? 15:35 And he says, "Be angry...do not sin; 15:38 do not let the sun go down on your anger"-- 15:40 which, by the way, is great marriage counseling, too, 15:43 isn't it?--"and give no opportunity to the devil." 15:46 So he's arguing that, 15:50 should we allow anger 15:53 to become full-blown sin, 15:56 should we harbor and hang on to anger 15:59 and let it fester day in and day out-- 16:03 should we hold a grudge, in other words--that 16:06 that can lead to giving the devil 16:10 a toehold, a foothold in the Christian congregation. 16:15 And probably here, he's cuing that he's already 16:20 thinking about the great controversy. 16:22 He's thought about it at various places in the letter. 16:25 This appears to be one of them. 16:27 He of course will take that up in full heat 16:30 in Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10-20, 16:32 the famous armament passage. But to give the devil a toehold 16:36 is to give him a chance in battle, right? 16:39 To overcome and conquer. 16:41 And Paul does not wish for that to happen. 16:45 So, it seems to be a suggestion 16:48 that the use of the term is a bit of a prequel 16:54 to the armament passage 16:55 and its much more thorough portrait 16:58 of satanic, demonic activity, 17:02 the activity of the powers of darkness, 17:03 and how Christians relate to that. 17:06 >>So he's setting the stage, as it were, here in chapter 4 17:09 for something that's very shortly to come 17:12 in a greater detail. >>Yes. 17:14 >>Very good. We walk down to verses 26 or 27-- 17:18 we just looked at 28, 29: 17:19 "Let him who stole steal no longer, 17:22 "but rather let him labor, 17:23 "working with his hands what is good, 17:25 that he may have something to give him who has need." 17:28 And then in verse 29, he says, 17:29 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth." 17:33 Oh boy. (sighs) (Dr. McVay chuckles) 17:35 This...this is where the rubber meets the proverbial road. 17:39 >>Yeah, this is it. 17:40 But this is a powerful word from Paul about human speech. 17:44 >>It is, so unpack that for us. 17:46 >>So it's as though he is imagining 17:49 some word forming in our minds and hearts 17:52 and beginning to make its way up to the vocal cords 17:56 and coming forth to wreck its havoc 17:59 and its destruction upon others. 18:02 And he's saying, don't let that happen. 18:06 You know, don't unleash that word. 18:09 "Let no corrupting [or rotten word] 18:12 come out of your mouths." 18:14 And then he says, but instead of that, 18:17 instead of using your speech to destroy others, 18:21 to damage their sense of who they are, 18:24 to damage their faith, 18:25 to damage their hold on Christ as a Savior, don't do that. 18:29 Instead, here's what you should do. 18:32 And he really imagines that the Holy Spirit 18:37 would plant a filter in each of our hearts. 18:40 Why I say the Holy Spirit is because in verse 30, 18:44 he ties this behavior to the Spirit, and he says, 18:49 "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit." 18:51 In other words, by releasing that tirade on someone 18:55 that's shaping in your heart and mind and you release 18:58 that molten lava (chuckles) flow on someone, 19:02 that will grieve the Holy Spirit. 19:06 So he imagines the Holy Spirit 19:09 providing a filter in our hearts and minds. 19:12 And it has three parts--number one--three tests. 19:17 So, if we could train ourselves, as Christian believers, 19:21 to ask these three questions 19:22 about some statement I'm about to make, 19:25 and I have this inkling of the Spirit-- 19:27 hmm, should I say that? Shouldn't I? 19:29 Here's the three-way test, okay? 19:32 Number one, is it good for building up? 19:37 Will it encourage somebody? 19:39 Will it enhance their faith? 19:43 Will it fuel their faith and their hope? 19:46 Is it good for building up, question number one. 19:49 Question number two, a word may be positive. 19:52 It's possible that you might say, 19:54 "Yeah, I think that's a positive word. 19:55 That probably builds someone up." 19:57 But does it also fit the occasion? 20:01 Because I might say something that isn't so bad, 20:05 but in a particular context, 20:07 it might actually be a destructive word. 20:09 So, element one of the filter, the Spirit-inspired filter, 20:13 is it good for building up? 20:14 Number two, does it fit the occasion? 20:16 Paul's words, right? Does it fit the occasion? 20:19 And number three, the culminating, 20:21 the ultimate test is this one: 20:23 Would the statement you're about to make, quote, 20:26 "give grace to those who hear," unquote? 20:31 Now, that's a pretty good test, pretty good, 20:33 a solid, stiff three-way test. 20:37 And if that response 20:40 that's forming in your heart and your mind 20:42 doesn't pass that three-way test, 20:45 Paul would say, "Swallow it." (chuckles) 20:48 "Don't release it." 20:49 >>Got it. I'm thinking--I'm not naming names, 20:52 but I'm thinking of a few people 20:53 who would be individuals of very few words... 20:58 (Dr. McVay laughs) if they were to apply these three tests. 21:02 And yet they're biblical tests; 21:03 they're very worthwhile tests; 21:07 they're very important tests. 21:08 >>They're nitty-gritty tests. 21:11 He is really getting into the thick of it here. 21:15 >>And I think he's making great points here 21:18 because once a word has come out of your mouth, 21:22 it can't be taken back, and it does its damage. 21:25 It's kind of like toothpaste. >>Sure. 21:28 >>Once it comes out of the tube, 21:30 it's very difficult to get back into the tube. 21:33 >>It is, and Eric, I think it's really important 21:34 that we think about this in our era of communications, 21:38 where we have all sorts of social platforms 21:41 to communicate on, 21:42 some of whom allow some degree of anonymity. 21:46 Sometimes when we sit down at the keyboards, 21:48 we lose all filter. 21:50 We sit at our keyboard, and we shoot off an email, 21:53 and it's so easy to do and so simple to do, 21:55 and it just flows out of our fingers, and it's on the page. 21:59 We hit the "send" button. 22:00 And it may not be till the next day that you go, 22:02 "Ugh, you know, hmm. 22:04 Was that really the thing that I should do?" 22:07 So there's no time like the present to apply this filter, 22:10 not just to things that we might say at the water fountain, 22:13 but to the messages we might be typing 22:17 and email and all that sort of thing. 22:19 >>And it seems it's very easy to do that. 22:22 You don't have to spend much time. 22:24 You clearly don't have to spend much thought. 22:26 It just, it flows quickly. 22:28 But you made mention of something a moment ago, 22:30 that these sorts of things grieve the Holy Spirit. 22:33 >>Yes. >>So, when we stop 22:35 and consider that that quick post, 22:38 that quick tweet that we put out 22:40 that doesn't meet those tests, 22:44 that grieves one of the persons of the Godhead. 22:47 All of a sudden, it becomes a lot more important. 22:50 >>Mm-hmm. >>It really does. 22:52 >>Yeah, it really does, it really does, 22:54 and there's good news and bad news 22:56 in this grieving of the Spirit. 22:58 I mean, it would be bad news, of course, 22:59 to grieve the Spirit. 23:01 But here's what I find fascinating about that, Eric. 23:04 We sometimes tend to assume 23:08 that the Spirit's presence in our life 23:11 is a little bit fragile. 23:13 If I drink a little too much root beer, He departs. 23:18 If I do this, that, or the other, the Spirit flees from-- 23:22 but here, it's interesting, isn't it, what Paul says. 23:25 He doesn't say, 23:27 if you get angry with someone and you tell them often-- 23:29 you fail to have the Spirit-inspired filter 23:33 installed in your heart and mind, 23:34 and you really go for it and blast somebody, 23:37 he doesn't say the Spirit departs from your life. 23:41 He says the Spirit grieves, which means the Spirit remains. 23:45 The Spirit remains with you, and, if you will, in you. 23:49 The Spirit dwells in you. 23:51 And so Paul is suggesting that as a believer, 23:54 you have some sort of impact, potential impact, 23:58 on the life the Spirit experiences 24:01 in cooperation and partnership with you. 24:04 The Spirit does not leave. The Spirit grieves. 24:09 And I find that very fascinating. 24:10 There's some good news harbored there 24:12 in that concept, in that statement. 24:14 >>So if He is grieved 24:16 and He continues working on our hearts, 24:18 we can experience remorse, which is not a bad thing 24:21 in this context. >>Right. 24:22 >>And with that remorse and from that remorse 24:24 can come change-- 24:25 >>Yep. >>>...by the grace of God. 24:27 Very powerful. >>Yeah, the Spirit's 24:28 relationship with the believer is not fragile 24:31 but is durable. 24:33 Now, I'm not saying that the Spirit would never leave. 24:36 The Spirit doesn't remain in our lives 24:38 if we choose to not have Him there. 24:41 But not fragile, but durable, and I'm grateful for that. 24:45 >>Absolutely. 24:47 Let's jump to the last couple of verses in this chapter, 24:49 verses 31 and 32. 24:51 He says, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, 24:53 "clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, 24:56 "with all malice. And be kind to one another, 24:59 "tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 25:02 even as God in Christ forgave you." 25:05 Now, of course, that's not where Paul's letter ended 25:07 but it does happen to be where this chapter ends, 25:09 so-- >>Yes. 25:11 >>...why do you think these verses tie this off? 25:14 >>Well, you know, I think verse 32 is just, 25:17 it's just such a warm-hearted word of advice to us, 25:22 and it's just dripping with pathos, isn't it? 25:25 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, 25:29 "forgiving one another, 25:31 as God in Christ forgave you." 25:35 So, he's exploring the relationship 25:38 between vertical forgiveness, 25:40 where God forgives us for our trespasses and our sins, 25:44 and our forgiveness of other people, right? 25:48 And he's suggesting that there is a relationship. 25:52 If we accept God's forgiveness 25:55 and we rejoice in the forgiveness 25:57 that Christ brings in our lives, 26:00 it comes with a claim upon us. 26:03 And that is to love what God has done for us so much 26:06 that we model it in our relationships to others. 26:10 So, don't throw the book at them. 26:13 Be tenderhearted; be gracious. 26:16 Be kind in your relationships with others. 26:20 Model in your relationships with others 26:24 the behavior of God toward you. 26:27 He has poured out grace upon you. 26:29 He has responded to you with redemption and forgiveness. 26:33 Could you participate in that work of His 26:38 by allowing His grace and His forgiveness 26:40 to flow through you to other people? 26:42 >>And we've found this week 26:44 a beautiful way that we can do that. 26:46 Through the words that we speak to others, 26:48 through the lives that we live, 26:51 Christ is wanting to use you as a conduit 26:55 through whom He can reach others with His Spirit, 26:59 and our words will make a huge difference 27:02 in the lives of others. 27:04 So choose your words carefully. 27:06 Run them through that filter. 27:08 And sometimes it's best not to say anything at all. 27:13 But if you can give a word of encouragement, a word of hope, 27:17 a word "in due season," 27:20 you may make an incredible difference 27:22 in the life of someone else. 27:25 This week Paul has gotten down to the meat, 27:28 to the heart of what it is to be a Christian 27:30 and how to live and how to speak with others 27:34 so that they and you can experience grace. 27:37 We look forward to seeing you again next week 27:39 on "Sabbath School," brought to you by It Is Written, 27:42 as we continue our study of the book Ephesians. 27:46 (uplifting theme music) 28:26 (music ends) |
Revised 2023-08-09